Navigation director system

ABSTRACT

A navigation system is disclosed in which a displayed map is continuously and accurately controlled during flight of an aircraft to display the true relation between the aircraft and the terrain over which it passes. The displayed map is automatically selected from a plurality of stored maps for display, in response to pilot-initiated signals. A cockpit control panel is provided with manually actuable controls for the selection of a start point and a destination which define a direct great circle route therebetween. A route segment indication is displayed of the selected direct route or at a manually-selected offset course. The indication is displayed at a distance from an aircraft symbol which corresponds to the flight path error. A vernier deviation indication is displayed to provide a magnified presentation of the flight error. A series of indicators provides supplementary operating and status data to the pilot. The indicators include a Dead Reckoning indicator which indicates that the system is navigating in a dead reckoning mode, and an Off Chart indicator to indicate that the aircraft position is not on the selected navigation map.

United States Patent Richardson et al.

[451 Mar. 28, 1972 s41 NAVIGATION DIRECTOR SYSTEM 3,364,343 l/l968 Hunt 2351150171 [72] inventors: Donald W. Richardson, Woodland Hills; :233 Stanley N. Roscoe, Los Angeles; Edward street", woodland Hills an ofcalifl 3,486,815 i2/l969 Roscoe ..343/l07 X [73] Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company, Culver City, 'f 'y E fi g g bgoffisofl c lm ssistanr xammere or ru er Attorney-James K. Haskell and Walter 1. Adam [22] Filed: Mar. 22, 1968 2| Appl. No.: 715,205 1 ABSTRACT A navigation system is disclosed in which a displayed map is 52 US. Cl. ..235/l50.26, 235115027, 73/l78 R, mminumfsly and 116129 R 3431,07 343/1 C 353/13 craft to display the true relation between the alrcraft and the 51 Int. Cl. I .0661 15/50 0615 7/46 which displayed is 58 Field 0! Search ..235/i50.26 1s0.2'7- 35/101 Cally a in 35,104 340/1725. 343/9 10 I6 response to pilot-initiated signals. A cockpit control panel is 333/1 provided with manually actuabie controls for the selection of a start point and a destination which define a direct great circle [56] Relerences Cited route therebetween. A route segment indication is displayed of the selected direct route or at a manually-selected offset UMTED ST PATENTS course. The indication is displayed at a distance from an aircraft symbol which corresponds to the flight path error A 2,307,029 1/1943 Elm ..343/i l2 Vernier deviation indication is displayed to provide a 2.541377 2/1951 Omberg e1 nified presentation of the flight error. A series of indicators 21554394 5/1951 wood provides supplementary operating and status data to the pilot. 2943,32 6/1960 W 12 The indicators include a Dead Reckoning indicator which in- 31028978 4/1962 George et mus/15027 X dicates that the system is navigating in a dead reckoning 1 12/1963 TOOlcY -235/150-27 X mode, and an Off Chart indicator to indicate that the aircraft 3,1 I 8,059 1/1964 Vago l ..235/l50.26 i i i not on the sdected navigation map 3,i5i,3i0 9/1964 Shepherd et al. ..343/l i2 3,2l5,823 11/1965 Ariessohn ct al. ..235/150.27 Claims, Drawing Figures 0 5/ I) Z? u/vfr /a 04747 ironic! a 1/ fltocissol u/v/r [com r fie) a 4 cat/near. i h 4/,4/7' i V0171 i 14/:

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PATENTEDMARZBIHTE 3,652,836

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1. A navigation system for controlling the navigation of a craft along a selected route over an area comprising: display means having a display surface for displaying navigation information; first means coupled to said display means for storing and projecting at least one navigation chart representative of at least a portion of a predetermined area; means coupled to said display means for displaying a craftposition symbol on said surface; second means coupled to said first means to which craft-position signals are supplied for displaying a portion of said navigation chart on said display surface so that the displayed craft-position symbol is superposed on a point on said displayed chart; chart-positioning control means coupled to said second means for controlling the positioning of the displayed chart so that said point on the displayed chart substantially represents the actual craft-position over the area; third means coupled to said chart-positioning control means for controlling the selection of a start point and at least a first destination point on at least one displayed chart portion and for providing position representative signals; computing means responsive to said position representative signals and to chart coordinate data for determining a navigation route between said start point and said first destination point and for providing said craft position signals; and fourth means responsive to said position representative signals from said computing means for displaying on said display suRface a navigation route indication at a distance from said craft-position symbol corresponding to the off course distance of said craft from said determined navigation route.
 2. The navigation system as recited in claim 1 further including fifth means coupled to said chart-positioning control means for responding to a selected condition to control the display of said chart in a north up or heading up orientation.
 3. The navigation system as recited in claim 1 further including means coupled between said computing means and said display means for displaying a command heading symbol at an angle with respect to a predetermined mark which represents the desired craft navigation correction to direct said craft toward said navigation route.
 4. The navigation system as recited in claim 1 further including means coupled to said fourth means for controlling the display of said navigation route indication when said craft is less than a first preselected travel time from said first destination point, and said computing means generates signals which determine a navigation route from said first destination point to said second destination point when the craft is less than a second preselected travel time from said first destination point.
 5. The navigation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for displaying a craft position symbol on said surface displays the symbol at the center of said display surface and said chart-positioning control means automatically moves the display chart, so that the point on the chart representing the craft''s position is displayed at the display surface center.
 6. The navigation system as recited in claim 5 further including means coupled to said display means and to said computing means for providing an indication when the displayed chart does not contain a point corresponding to the craft''s actual position.
 7. A system for facilitating navigation of a craft along a selected route over an area, comprising: display means including a display surface for displaying navigation information thereon; first means coupled to said display means for supplying said display means with a map of at least a portion of said area for display on the display surface thereof; second means coupled to said display means for defining route start and destination points; third means for determining the locations of said start and destination points and for computing a selected route therebetween and developing signals representative thereof; fourth means included in said third means for determining the craft''s position in said area and for developing signals representative thereof; fifth means coupled to said display means and responsive to signals from said fourth means related to the craft''s position, for controlling the displayed map so that a point thereof corresponding to the craft''s position is displayed at a predetermined point on said display surface; and sixth means responsive to signals representative of the computed selected route for controlling said display means to display a route indication on said surface at an orientation with respect to the displayed map which corresponds to the selected route orientation with respect to the area included in said map, and at a distance from said predetermined point corresponding to the craft''s off-route error.
 8. The system as recited in claim 7 further including seventh means coupled to said display means for displaying a symbol whose relative position on said display surface represents a desired correction in the craft''s direction to direct the craft toward said selected route.
 9. The system as recited in claim 8 further including eighth means included in said sixth means for displaying on said surface a magnified error indication at a distance from said preselected point which is a selected multiple of the distance between said preselected point and said route indication.
 10. A navigation system for displaying data useful in The navigation of a craft along a defineable selected route over an area comprising: map storing means for storing a plurality of navigation maps, each being a map of a selected area; display means including map selecting means and route selecting means, said display means displaying at least a portion of one of said maps, and cooperating with said map storing means for selecting on said maps a start point and generating output signals corresponding to a selected map and at least a first destination point; computing means responsive to said display means output signals, said computing means storing coordinate data related to each of said maps, responsive to said output signals from said display means and the coordinate data of the maps containing said points for generating route signals between the selected points, said computing means further including means for determining the position of the navigated craft to provide craft position signals related thereto; means responsive to said route signals for displaying an indication on said display means responsive to said route signals; and means responsive to the craft position signals to display a point on the displayed map corresponding to the craft''s position at a predetermined point on said display means.
 11. The navigation system as recited in claim 10 wherein said display means further include first means for displaying a craft symbol at said predetermined point and second means included in said computer for generating an orientation symbol for controlling said first means to display said craft symbol at an orientation with respect to a reference direction which corresponds to the actual orientation of the craft with such reference direction.
 12. The navigation system as recited in claim 11 wherein said first means displays said craft symbol with respect to either a HEADING UP or a NORTH UP orientation, and wherein said display means further include third means for displaying a command heading symbol for indicating the desired craft navigation correction to direct said craft toward said defined route.
 13. The navigation system as recited in claim 12 wherein said predetermined point is the center point of a display surface of said display means, and said display means further include means for controlling the display of the route indication on said display means so as to provide an indication that the craft is less than a preselected flight time from said destination point.
 14. The navigation system as recited in claim 10 wherein said means responsive to the craft position signals displays said displayed map so that said predetermined point is the center of a display surface of said display means.
 15. The navigation system as recited in claim 14 further including means coupled to said computing means for indicating that the selected map does not contain a displayable point corresponding to the craft''s actual position.
 16. The navigation system as recited in claim 15 including means coupled to said computing means for extinguishing at least said indication provided by said means responsive to the route signals when the selected map does not contain a displayable point corresponding to the craft''s actual position.
 17. The navigation system as recited in claim 16 further including first means for displaying a craft symbol at said predetermined point and means for controlling said first means to display said craft symbol at an orientation with respect to a reference direction which corresponds to the actual orientation of the craft with such reference direction.
 18. The navigation system as recited in claim 17 wherein said generating means generates an indication signal and including means responsive to said indication signal for providing an indication when said craft is less than a preselected flight time from said destination point.
 19. The navigation system as recited in claim 10 wherein said computing means generates an off route error indication signAl and said display means include means responsive to said off route error indication signal for displaying an off route magnified error indication movable laterally from said indication provided by the means responsive to the route signals, a distance that is a selected function of the craft''s off-route error.
 20. The navigation system as recited in claim 10 wherein said route-selecting means include: first means for controlling the selection of any desired map out of said plurality of maps for display by said display means; second means for controlling the display of a point in the displayed map to be at a preselected point on a display surface of said display means; third means for defining a point on a map displayed at said preselected point as a start point and for communicating said display means output signals to said computing means to determine therein coordinate data of said start point; and fourth means for defining a point on a map displayed at said preselected point as a destination point and for communicating said display means output signals to said computing means to determine therein coordinate data of said destination point.
 21. The navigation system as recited in claim 20 wherein said means responsive to the craft position signals displays said displayed map so that said predetermined point is the center of a display surface of said display means.
 22. The navigation system as recited in claim 21 including means coupled to said computing means for indicating that the selected map does not contain a displayable point corresponding to the craft''s actual position.
 23. The navigation system as recited in claim 22 including means coupled to said computing means and to said means responsive to said route signals for extinguishing at least said indication when the selected map does not contain a displayable point corresponding to the craft''s actual position.
 24. The navigation system as recited in claim 23 including fifth means for displaying a craft symbol at said predetermined point and means for controlling said fifth means to display said craft symbol at an orientation with respect to a reference direction which corresponds to the actual orientation of the craft with such reference direction.
 25. The navigation system as recited in claim 24 including means for providing an indication when said craft is less than a preselected flight time from said destination point.
 26. The navigation system as recited in claim 24 including means responsive to said route signals for displaying an off route magnified error indication movable laterally from said indication provided by said means responsive to the route signals, a distance that is a selected function of the craft''s off route error.
 27. A navigation control system aboard a craft for navigating the craft over an area along a navigator-selected route, said system providing a first plurality of signals representative of an aircraft position and a second plurality of signals representative of a selected route, comprising: a display unit with a display surface for displaying navigation information; map storing means coupled to said display unit for storing at least one map of said area; map positioning means including manually actuable means for controlling the display of said map on said display surface and generating map position signals; route display means for controllably displaying a route indication on said surface; computing means responsive to a first plurality of signals and to said map position signals for providing aircraft position signals as a function of the craft''s position and to a second plurality of signals for providing route indication control signals; and coupling means for supplying said aircraft position signals to said map positioning means to control the display of said map so that a point thereon which corresponds to the craft''s position is displayed at a selected point on said display surface, said coupling means further including means for supplying said route indication control signals to said route display means to control the display of said route indication with respect to said selected point as a function of the position of said craft with respect to said route.
 28. A navigation control system as recited in claim 27 wherein said selected point is the center of said display surface, said computing means generates an off route error indication signal and said display means further includes means responsive to said off route error indication signals for displaying an off route magnified error indication movable laterally from said route indication a distance that is a selected function of the craft''s off route error.
 29. A navigation control system as recited in claim 28 wherein said computing means generates an off-map signal and further including means responsive to said off-map signal for indicating that the selected map does not contain a displayable point corresponding to the craft''s actual position.
 30. A navigation system for use aboard a craft to be navigated with respect to a selected route over an area comprising: a display unit having a display surface for displaying navigation information and generating map position signals; storing means coupled to said display unit for storing a plurality of area charts including charts of areas along the route with respect to which the craft is to be navigated; first means coupled to said display unit for responding to craft position signals and for displaying on said surface a portion of a chart of an area containing the craft''s position, with said craft position being displayed at a first point on said surface; second means coupled to said display unit and responsive to command signals for displaying on said surface an elongated indication of the selected route at a relative location with respect to said first point representative of the positional error of said craft with respect to said route; display control means coupled to said second means for controlling the display of the elongated indication of said route in accordance with preselected display criteria; chart select means coupled to said storing means for selecting for display any one of the charts in said storing means; chart positioning means coupled to said first means for controlling the display of the chart so that a selected point thereon is displayed at a second point of said surface; a first element manually operable and coupled to said chart positioning means to define the point on a chart displayed at said selected point as a route start point, said chart positioning means responding to provide a start point signal; a second element manually operable and coupled to said chart positioning means to define the point on a chart displayed at said selected point as a route destination point, said chart positioning means responding to provide a destination point signal; and computing means responsive to said map position signals for providing said craft position signals and responsive to said start point and destination point signals for computing the route orientation, and for providing said command signals to control the display of the elongated route indication on said display surface.
 31. The navigation system as recited in claim 30 wherein said first and second points are the same, and said first means controls said display unit to provide said first point at the center point of said surface.
 32. The navigation system as recited in claim 31 further including a craft symbol displayable at said center point; said computing means providing an orientation signal as a function of the craft''s actual heading; and means responsive to said orientation symbol for controlling the rotational orientation of the displayed craft symbol.
 33. The navigation system as recited in claim 32 further including means for displaying a compass rose about the periphery oF said display surface, said first means including means for controlling the display of said chart, said display control means including means to display said elongated route indication, and said means for displaying a compass rose including means to display said compass rose so that said chart, route indication and compass rose are in either a ''''north up'''' or a ''''heading up'''' mode.
 34. The navigation system as recited in claim 33 further including in said display unit means for displaying a command heading symbol indicating a heading to overcome craft positional error, said computing means generating command heading signals, and means responsive to said command heading signals for controlling the display of said command heading symbol.
 35. The navigation system as recited in claim 30 wherein each chart stored in said storing means is definable by a unique chart number, said chart select means including chart number select means manually actuable to define a chart number and chart change indicating means which are manually actuable to initiate the selection for display of a chart whose number corresponds to the chart number defined by said chart number select means.
 36. The navigation system as recited in claim 35 further including a manually actuable multidestination control element coupled to said computing means and providing a plurality of destination point signals for defining in succession a plurality of points successively displayed at said second point of said surface as destination points.
 37. A system for use in navigating a craft along a selected route comprising: a source of navigation position signals; a display unit including a display surface, display control means for controlling the display on said surface of at least a route indication, map display means for displaying at said preselected point on said display surface a point on an area map, said point on said map representing the craft''s actual position and craft display means responsive to signals representing the craft heading for displaying at said preselected point on said display surface a craft symbol at an orientation related to the craft''s heading, and command heading display means responsive to signals representative of the command heading for displaying a command heading symbol at an orientation corresponding to a desired craft heading for navigation along said route, said display unit providing display unit position signals; computing means responsive to said display unit position signals and the navigation position signals for deriving control signals which are a function of the selected route and the relative position of said craft with respect thereto, and for deriving said signals representing the craft heading and the command heading; and means responsive to said control signals for controlling said display means to display said route indication on said surface so as to indicate the relative position of said craft with respect to said selected route and so that the distance therefrom to a preselected point on said surface is related to the craft''s off-route distance.
 38. A system for use in navigating a craft along a selected route comprising: a source of navigation position signals; a display unit including a display surface, display control means for controlling the display on said surface of at least a route indication and map display means for displaying at said preselected point on said display surface a point on an area map, said point on said map representing the craft''s actual position, said display unit providing display unit position signals; first manually controllable means for defining a route start point and provide route start signals; second manually controllable means for defining a route destination point and providing route destination signals; computing means responsive to said route start point signals and said route destination signals and to the navigation positiOn signals for deriving control signals which are a function of the selected route and the relative position of said craft with respect thereto; and means responsive to said control signals for controlling said display means to display said route indication on said surface so as to indicate the relative position of said craft with respect to said selected route and so that the distance therefrom to a preselected point on said surface is related to the craft''s off-route distance.
 39. A navigation system for a craft comprising: a source of craft position signals; display means for displaying navigation information and a route indication; first means for providing signals representing a start point and a destination point of a route to be navigated by a craft; second means utilizing said start and destination point signals and signals representative of craft position for deriving a great circle route on the basis of said start and destination point signals and the distance of said craft therefrom, said second means providing route signals; means coupled to said display means and responsive to said route signals for displaying a route indication from a preselected point by a distance which represents the distance of said craft from the route to be navigated, representative of the craft position; and means selectably controllable and coupled to said second means for providing a route offset signal, said second means providing route signals as a function of said offset signal, to said means coupled to said display means for displaying the route indication from said preselected point at a distance which is a function of the distance of said craft from said route to be navigated and said selectably controlled route offset signal.
 40. A navigation system comprising: first means for defining start and destination points of a route to be navigated by a craft and for generating start and destination point signals; second means responsive to route signals for displaying during the navigation of said craft a route indication at a distance from a selected point representative of the craft''s off course error; third means responsive to said start and destination point signals, for providing said route signals to control the display of said route indication as a function of preselected values of estimated navigation time to reach said destination point; and means coupled to said third means, including manually controlled means for inserting a selected offset value signal to provide an offset route so that said route indication is displayed from said selected display point at a distance related to the craft''s off-route error from said offset route.
 41. A navigation system comprising: means for storing a plurality of navigation maps; display means coupled to said means for storing and including a display surface for displaying navigation information; map select and control means coupled to said display means, including manually actuable means for selecting a map of the stored maps for display on said surface and for controlling the display of the selected map thereon; first manually actuable means coupled to said map select and control means for defining a point on a selected map which is displayed at a selected point on said surface as a route start point, and for generating start point signals; second manually actuable means coupled to said map select and control means for defining a point on a selected map which is displayed at said selected point on said surface as a destination point and for generating destination point signals; computing means responsive to said start point and destination point signals for utilizing the defined start and destination points to derive a route therebetween and for determining in response to craft position signals the position of said craft from said route, said computing means generating route command signals and craft symbol signals; and means coupliNg said route command signals and said craft symbol signals from said computing means to said display means for displaying on the surface thereof a route indication and a craft symbol.
 42. The system as defined in claim 41 wherein said computing means generates map positioning signals and said map select and control means include means responsive to said map positioning signals from said computing means for automatically slewing a displayed map containing a point which represents the craft position so that the point which represents the craft position is displayed under said craft symbol.
 43. The system as defined in claim 42 further including means in said second manually actuable means for defining a succession of selected points as destination points and generating a plurality of destination point signals, said computing means responding to said plurality of destination point signals to derive a sequence of routes, the first route being from said start point to a first chosen destination point and a succeeding route being from the first chosen destination point to a second chosen destination point.
 44. A navigation system comprising: a source of navigation position signals; display means including a display surface and means for providing a plurality of maps successively displayed on the surface; first means for defining selected points on said displayed maps successively displayed on said surface as start and destination points and for generating defined point signals; computing means responsive to said defined point signals to derive a route therebetween, and for responding to the navigation position signals to generate map position signals and to determine the craft''s off-route error and generate error signals; and means for supplying said error signals and said map position signals from said computing means to said display means to display on its surface in response to said error signals a route indication at a distance from a selected point thereon which corresponds to the craft''s off-route error and for automatically moving in response to said map position signals a displayed map containing a craft position point to coincide with said selected point on the display surface.
 45. The navigation system as defined in claim 44 further including means in said first means for defining several selected points on displayed maps as destination points and generating corresponding defined point signals, and multidestination manually actuable means for selecting the first destination to which a route from said start point is derived and for selecting a succeeding destination point to which a route is to be derived from the last selected destination point.
 46. The navigation system as defined in claim 45 wherein said computing means include means for estimating a time enroute value, and for computing a succeeding route to a next selected destination point when said time enroute value is less than a preselected number of units of time and generating said error signals on said succeeding route for being supplied to said display means.
 47. The navigation system as defined in claim 44 further including means displaying a craft symbol at said selected point on said display surface, said computing means responding to mode control signals for providing symbol position signals, and means including manually actuable mode control means for applying said mode control signals to said computing means for generating said symbol position signals to control said craft symbol, either in a ''''heading up'''' or ''''north up'''' orientation mode.
 48. The navigation system as defined in claim 44 where said computing means generates an off-map signal and further including means responsive to said off-map signal for indicating the absence of a point on the displayed map which corresponds to the craft''s actual position.
 49. A navigation system comprising: display means for displaying maps of a navigation route on a display surfacE, computing means for controlling the display generating route signals, craft position signals, map indication signals and heading signals, and means responsive to said route signals for displaying on a display surface of said display means at a distance from a selected point thereon, a route indication representing a route to be navigated by a craft from a start point to a destination point, distance between said route indication and said selected point being related to the craft''s off route error; means responsive to said craft position signals for automatically displaying at said selected point a point on a map corresponding to the craft''s actual position; means responsive to said map indication signals for providing an indication when the map does not contain a point corresponding to the craft''s position; and displayable means in said display means and responsive to said heading signals for indicating a required correction in the craft''s heading to be navigated along said route to said destination point.
 50. In a navigation system comprising: first means for defining start and destination points of a route to be navigated by a craft and for generating signals; second means including computer means and display means and responsive to said signals generated by said first means for displaying during the navigation of said craft a route indication of said route to be navigated, said computing means calculating a great circle route between said start and destination point signals; and means coupled to said computer means for inserting selected offset signals for calculating a route to be navigated offset from said great circle route and displaying said route indication along the offset route.
 51. A navigation system for a craft having a source of craft position signals comprising: first means for entering and storing the craft position signals, second means for generating signals representing a start point and a destination point of a route to be navigated by a craft and coupled to said first means for entering and storing the start point and destination point signals therein, computing means coupled to said first and second means and utilizing said start and destination point signals and said craft position signals for deriving signals representative of a great circle route on the basis of said start and destination point signals and the distance of said craft therefrom and for generating route indication signals and command signals, and display means responsive to said route indication signals for providing an indication of the calculated route and the positional error of the craft therefrom and responsive to said command signals to provide a command heading indication of a heading to overcome the craft positional error.
 52. A navigation system comprising: first means for providing aircraft position signals, second means for providing coordinate data signals of an area to be navigated, position selection means for selecting start and destination positions over an area to be navigated, storage means coupled to said first and second means for entering and storing said aircraft position signals and said coordinate data signals, third means coupled to said position selection means and to said storage means for generating and entering signals to be stored representing a start point and destination point of a route to be navigated, and fourth means coupled to said storage means for responding to said start and destination point signals, said aircraft position signals and said coordinate data signals for deriving signals representative of a great circle route between said start and destination points and signals representative of variation from said great circle route.
 53. A navigation system comprising: display means for displaying an area over which the craft is to be navigated and for displaying a navigation route, first means coupled to said displAy means for defining start and destination points and providing start and destination point signals, second means coupled to said display means and to said first means and responsive to said start and destination point signals for developing first signals representative of a great circle route between said start and destination points and for developing second signals representative of a parallel route offset from said great circle route a selected distance, and third means coupled to said second means for providing a selected offset value signal for development of said second signals.
 54. A system for navigating a craft over an area comprising: map display means having a display surface, first means coupled to said map display means for defining a selected point on a displayed map which is a route start point and for defining a selected point on which is a route destination point and for providing route start and route destination signals, computing means coupled to said first means for responding to said start and destination point signals to derive a first great circle route therebetween and for determining the position of the craft from said route, said computing means responding to offset signals to derive an offset route parallel to and in a selected direction from said first route, and second controllable means coupled to said computing means for providing offset signals representative of a selected offset distance in a selected direction from said first great circle route.
 55. An aircraft system for route navigation over an area comprising: map display means for displaying the area to be navigated and for displaying a route to be navigated in response to route signals, first means coupled to said display means for providing signals representing a start point of a route to be navigated, second means coupled to said display means for sequentially defining signals representative of a succession of destination points over the route to be navigated, and computing means coupled to said first and second means and responsive to said signals representative of said start point signals and to said signals representative of a succession of said destination points to derive said route signals representative of a sequence of routes, the first route being from said start point to a first destination point and a succeeding route being from the first destination point to a second destination point, said computing means coupled to said map display means to apply said route signals thereto. 